The University daily. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 18??-????, 1887-06-07
Hon. WIN. i. Wilson, Iii. ID.


excellent mother.
He attended the CharlestoWn
Academy, then went to Columbia
/ College, ID. CT, where he graduated
id 1860. Thence lie went TO the
| University of Virginia, where he was.
| when the war began He exchanged
his school books for the equfpme ntsE
of private soldier id the army Of
Northern Virginia and was at once
semitic Tho front, and was soon captlr-
ed and imprisoned Atlength he Was
exchanged and was engaged in the
battle of the wilderness and iii the
battles around Petersburg.
After the close Of the war he was
elected Professor Of the Latin lam
guage and Literature id the college
from which he had graduated III
1860. This place of honor he held
for six years, during which time be
graduated id the Law School of thht
institution and married the daughter
of its professor of Greek. EII
Upon the repeal Of the law requir4
ing the lawyers test oath il West
Virginia, Mr. Wilson resigned his
professorship and began the prac-E
tice Of law IL CharlestoWn. III
He was soon elected County Su-.
perintendent Of the free schools pf
llJeferso and serted the people in.
that capacity fol two. years. He
was elected d delegate in 1880 to the
National demo cratic convention at,
Cincinnati, and was the one dele.
gate from West Virginia who voted
for Mr.. Bayard for President. He
was a candidate for an eleetor for
the State at large on the national
democratic ticket Of 1880 and can
yassed the State, everywhere appeal
ing to the people not to be influenced
by the doctrine Of hate that was at.
that time being preached with such
tremendous power throughout the
North by Senator Roscoe Conkling.
In June, 1882, MI. Wilson was,
without his solicitation, elected
President of the West Virginia Uni
versityeand entered upon his duties
the 4th of September. On the Goth.
of September, however, he was nom
mated as a candidate for seat in,
the Forty-eighth Congress, and after
q most exciting count was found to-
be elected by a majority of Ii votes.
The University, during the year
of Mr.. Wilson's administration, sus-
tanned the most violent assault and,
possibly, the most malignant parti-
san abpse It has been the lot Of any
Of our public Institutions to with
stand. This was due to several i'm
mediate causes, the principal of
which was the change Of the. organi-
zation of the University from the old.
college curriculum plan to- the
school or elective system. Thl is
change had, upon the unanim GUS r B.
quest of the Faculty, been effected
by the Board of Regents at the same
meeting in June at which M !. vii
son had been eleete President.
During the fall term everything in
the. University moved smoothly on.
and the earnest students were.
charmed with the modest but schol-.
arly manner in which Mr. Wilson,
Notwithstanding the excitement at-
tending a race for Congress, con
Quoted his classes. And although.
all, to outward appearances, was fair
sailing, it was seen toward the end
Of the term that discomfort was
growing among the students. The
recitation hours had been lengthen4
ed; the examinations had been made
more difficult; some recitations had
been assigned for Saturdays, and
the friction oecasioned by two sys4
TENS (for certain students had been
allowed to continue in the studies of
the curriculum working in the % ni-
versity at the same time all these
were made opportunities for unfa-
I.yorable comments for the purpose Of
Ediscrediting the administration and
other influences were Watehful and
eager to foment any dissatisfaction
and turn IL to the detriment Of the.
University,
Accordingly, when at the first ez-
aminations several students failed
lii the class Of mathema tics, there.
was an effort to create a stampepe.
The students, who failed, with sever
al others who Were3able to maintain
a good standard, withdrew to easier
colleges and q few others, glad Of
any excuse to escape from study,